Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.5

Talking Walls Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf October 21, 2019

The director of “The Lords of Flatbush,” Stephen Verona returns to the concerns of young men and their inherent impatience with 1987’s “Talking Walls,” which finds the helmer in charge of making horndog cinema, only to fight this reality every step of the way. While it’s credited as an adaptation of a Mike McGrady novel (1977’s “The Motel Tapes”), the picture certainly doesn’t play like literary cinema, working between a comedic overview of voyeurism involving improvisational play from a collection of actors and a dull romance between the lead character and the French woman he can’t seem to possess in full. I’m not sure what the production history is on “Talking Walls,” but it plays like a feature that was second-guessed days into production, with Verona scrambling to make something sellable on the VHS market when his original dramatic vision was quickly exposed as pure tedium.

Paul (Stephen Shellen) is a sociology student at Liberty College who’s looking to achieve something special for his master’s thesis, hoping to impress Professor Hirsch (Barry Primus). Taking advantage of his job maintaining tech equipment at The Total Media Hotel in Hollywood, Paul decides to cut holes all over his room, using one-way glass to videotape couples during their most intimate moments, hoping to understand relationships between men and women. Collecting a direct view of the themed rooms, Paul is exposed to all sorts of guest behavior, filling tapes with examples of private interactions. Expanding his research, Paul soon meets Jeanne (Marie Laurin), a French artist who takes a shine to the camera-obsessed man, but isn’t delighted with his need to record everything, complicating the purity of their relationship as the scholar digs deeper into his voyeuristic tendencies.

“Talking Walls” opens with reasonable intentions, establishing Paul’s mission as one of education and understanding, genuinely curious about the divide between men and women when it comes to the demands of love. What’s crazy about the picture is his execution, where he takes a saw to a hotel room he doesn’t own (he’s close with owners Don and Rae, but hasty remodeling close?), installing one-way mirrors on the walls and one on the floor, which permits him access to the themed rooms of the establishment, which offers a car for excitable couples, stuffed sheep for sleepiness(?), and a shoe room for those who enjoy the questionable wonders of feet.

Armed with all sorts of video equipment, Paul shoots away, capturing activity in the rooms, and these scenes make up the highlights of “Talking Walls,” permitting actors to manage silly business as guests argue politics and relationships, showcase the horrors of premature ejaculation, and present one-sided excitement with an inflatable sex doll. While hardly a laugh riot, at least these sequences are amusing, offering all the exposed skin this type of release should provide, while delivering a looser style for Verona, who simply provides a scenario and lets the cast go to work. Paul logs it all for his thesis plans, and continues his camera journey on his own, taping confessionals and dragging his equipment all over town, creating a diary that ends up highlighting his own confusion about women.

Jeanne is offered as stability in Paul’s life, introduced as an artist from France who’s in tune with her emotions, practically making her an alien to Paul, who’s not above sleeping with anyone remotely interested in him. They commence a tentative relationship, and Verona goes from making a pleasingly trashy picture to a serious one, trying to pass off the pair as a sincere study of burgeoning love. When one scene features a couple trying to figure out kink play and safe words in the shoe room, it’s a little difficult to show interest in Paul’s drab journey of self-awareness, though the screenplay tries to add a little confusion into the mix when the student’s cameras captures something about his love interest he doesn’t want to see.

Talking Walls Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.67:1 aspect ratio) presentation secures a crisp look at the 35mm segments of the feature, following Paul's movement around town with encouraging sharpness. Detail satisfies, protecting facial particulars and clothing, as some of the gags in the movie involve sheer outfits. Wild decoration from the 1980s is open for inspection, with Paul's room loaded with metallic equipment, while Don's office is pasted with mementos and signs. The video side of the picture is obviously working with limited resolution, but comedic concepts are understood. Colors are vibrant, preserving naturalistic hues and neon glow. Campus visits retain adequate greenery. Skintones are natural. Delineation is acceptable, with no signs of solidification. Source is in fine condition, with some mild scratches and speckling.

Talking Walls Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix provides a reasonably clear understanding of dialogue exchanges, which retain emphasis, while Paul's narration is protected. Scoring cues are supportive, while soundtrack selections push through with greater volume, offering defined instrumentation. Video segments are tinnier by design, delivering on the voyeur aspects of the feature. Atmospherics are limited, but beach visits and campus tours carry some activity, and sound effects, such as gunplay, retain snap.

Talking Walls Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• A Trailer (:57, SD) is included.

Talking Walls Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Weirdly, the packaging for "Talking Walls" is more interesting than the picture, with the back of the case presenting a photo of a topless woman with a gun embracing a man. These people and this situation is not present in the actual film. And the cover lists bombshell Sybil Danning as the co-star, but she only appears in the movie for 30 seconds and doesn't say a word. I'd rather see the feature the Blu-ray art is promising, but what's here isn't terrible. There's half of a decent romp presented, exploring sexual preferences and experimentation. It's the other half of "Talking Walls" that's a complete disappointment, with Verona moving away from a real party to deal with limited actors trying to sell a flaccid love story.